A coalition of activists calls on the government to strengthen its food security policies with law instruments.

The coordinator of Alliance for Prosperous Villages, Tejo Wahyu Jatmiko, said Thursday that the government had to learn from the previous policies that were well-designed, but poorly implemented.

“The design was good but it was not legally binding because no presidential decree or regulation was made to ensure the implementation,” he said during a discussion to commemorate the World Food Day, which falls on Oct. 16.

According to Tejo, the law instruments will allow the public to file a lawsuit once the policies are not implemented properly.

“Access to food is our basic right. If the government cannot fulfill the right, it will violate the law,” he added.